Pakistan

Background

The overall goal of the project is to combat land degradation and desertification in Pakistan in order to protect and restore ecosystem and essential ecosystem services that are key to reducing poverty. The project will depend upon strong commitment of the Government of Pakistan and the involvement of key stakeholders, in particular those at the community level. The project will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase focused on creating an enabling environment for SLM and piloting innovation, and the second phase drawing lessons learned to deepen the policy and institutional commitment to SLM and completing demonstration projects that can later be scaled up and replicated.

Objectives

To strengthen institutional capacity, create an enabling environment and demonstrate good practices-all in an effort to help remove key barriers to Sustainable Land Management (SLM).

Key Achievements

The land cover maps of all pilot project districts have been developed. Designed questionnaire for field surveys and conducted field surveys for ground-truthing and prepared draft report of site specific socio-economic profiles of Laki Marwat and D.I. Khan districts of NWFP.

Final selection of pilot project locations in project districts is yet to be completed in consultation with provincial line agencies and district governments. The consultations could not be held during the 2008 due to delays in recruitment of staff for the Provincial Coordination Units and retirement of the NPD.

Test/interviews for the post of M&E Specialist were conducted during the month of September 2008 and a suitable candidate had been recommended. He joined the Project in December 2008.

The sufficient work on holding inception workshop has been undertaken. Tentative dates for holding IW have been scheduled at 17-19 February 2009.

80 % of the recruitment of additional project staff has been completed during the year.

Quotations for Procurement of equipment have been collected and Procurement Committee has been notified.

The additional project staff positions and technical expert/consultants were advertised in January and March 2008, but could not be filled due to ban imposed by the federal government on all new recruitments/appointments.  After seeking clarification from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat regarding application of the ban on UN Contract holders, recruitment process was revived by scheduling test/interviews of all the short-listed candidates. These interviews were conducted during the month of September 2008 and suitable candidates for various project positions have been recommended by the NEX/Project Recruitment Committee. The recruitment requests are under process and Service Contracts of the selected candidates are being issued by the UNDP Country Office. The staff has started joining the project as they get the service contract. Mostly staff of NCU and PCUs has already joined during the month of December 2008. 

Procurement of project vehicles was initiated in February 2008. UNDP Country Office has placed the purchase orders for vehicles. Two vehicles have already received from Karachi Port imported while the expected delivery of remaining vehicles is mid November 2008. The case for purchase of other office equipment is in process. The remaining procurement will continue.